Fun concept re-imagines the retro iMac for 2018

A loving tribute to one of the most iconic Macs. Photo: Antonio De Rosa

This year marks the twentieth anniversary of Apple’s colorful iMac G3, the computer Steve Jobs said looked good enough to lick. While Apple has long since moved away from this fun design in favor of the sleekly minimalist iMac of today, Apple fans still remember the G3 fondly.

One of those fans, talented designer Antonio De Rosa, recently paid homage to Apple’s first-gen iMac by putting together a concept design for what a new iMac in the same style might look like. Would you buy one?

Yes, please!Photo: Antonio De RosaA neat upgrade on an Apple design classic.Photo: Antonio De RosaPaying homage to the past.Photo: Antonio De Rosa

A nod to the past

Personally, I’ve never been the biggest fan of Apple’s aluminum-centric unibody designs. Sure, they’re sleek and minimalist, and the ability to mill a piece of cutting edge technology from a single piece of aluminum is astonishing. But they also look a bit austere for my tastes. When I think back to the Apple personality I love, it’s the fun icons Susan Kare designed for the Mac, the original Macintosh with its smile design, and the colorful iMac G3 and iBook that Apple introduced when Steve Jobs returned.

Antonio De Rosa’s designs therefore hit a lot of sweet spots for me. When the iMac G3 launched in 1998, computers made by most other companies were generic beige boxes. Ironically, the G3’s success helped to turn Apple into the market leader — so that, today, everyone copies Apple’s modern iMac design for inspiration. A colorful, fun computer would therefore stand out as much as it did in 1998.

Not everything is practical about this design, of course. The bulky design pays homage to the now-outdated CRT monitor of the original iMac, although it’s admittedly nowhere near as bulky. As cool as it looks, I’m also not convinced that a touch-based keyboard (which De Rosa says could double as a second display) would be practical for a desktop computer. As much as I love me some vintage Apple design, I also enjoy a bit of travel and physicality to my keyboard.

And, please god, if Apple ever does create a new iMac in this style, please don’t bring back the terrible “hockey puck” mouse!

However, for the most part, I would totally shell out my hard-earned cash for a computer like this. Who wouldn’t want to pay homage to one of Apple’s most iconic designs? Would you be joining me in my visit to the Apple Store to pick this up? What do you make of Antonio De Rosa’s concept? Let us know in the comments below.